A HISTORY OF SURREY 



leaving a balance of no less than 113,661 acres represented by waste 

 lands. 



With regard to the principal soils, I think that there is no doubt 

 that the Bagshot Sands is by far the hottest and driest and most sterile 

 in the county. The Lower Greensand comes next, and I have no hesi- 

 tation in placing the chalk midway between the sands and the heavier 

 clays. Porous as the chalk undoubtedly is, there is always a certain 

 amount of moisture to be found a little way below the surface, and 

 farmers find that in very hot and dry seasons the corn crops, which are 

 not deep rooters, suffer less on the chalk than on even the Lower Green- 

 sand. Last come the clays the Gault, Wealden, and London Clay. 



It will be convenient to speak first of the southern portion of the 

 county, both because we find here the oldest geological formations, and 

 because these correspond to the upper waters of the chief rivers. The 

 Weald Clay stretches in an unbroken belt across the south of the county 

 from east to west ; broadest at the eastern end and narrowing irregularly 

 westwards until near Haslemere it disappears, so that the extreme west 

 is devoid of this formation. It is characterized generally by its flatness 

 and an absence of any high hills, by an alternation of cultivated land, 

 green woods and copses of oak, willow, etc., and more or less extensive 

 commons covered with scattered bushes of gorse (U/ex europceus), but 

 without the heaths (Erica), although the ling (Calluna) occurs, and by 

 a general absence of pine woods. The coral-root (Dentaria bulbifera) is 

 confined to this formation as well as two pondweeds (Potamogeton 

 Jluitans and P. decipiens). 



The Lower Greensand which follows affords the two highest points 

 in the county, Leith Hill (965 feet) and Hind Head (840 feet). Un- 

 like the Wealden, the Lower Greensand is very narrow at its eastern 

 end, expanding towards the west. The pine woods, very extensive in 

 parts, notably in the region lying between Leith Hill and Pitch Hill 

 and about Hind Head, together with the heaths (Erica tetralix and 

 E. cmerea), which now become abundant, alone suffice to give a very 

 distinctive character to this formation as compared with the last. The 

 peculiar species also are more numerous, and there may be mentioned a 

 bitter-cress (Cardamine impatient), a very rare waterwort (Elatine Hydro- 

 piper), the sea stork's-bill (Erodium maritimum), brookweed (Samolus 

 Valerandf), and the following members of the sedge family : Cyperus 

 fuscus, Rbynchospora fusca, Carex arenaria and G. depauperata. 



The chalk and gault belt again has its widest part at the eastern end 

 of the county, narrowing towards the west, until the extremely narrow 

 ridge of the Hog's Back is reached. This formation presents a strong 



personal observations made in all parts of the county, seconded by communications with which I have 

 been favoured by numerous correspondents. To these I desire to express my best thanks, as well as to 

 Mr. S. W. Carruthers for his extracta of prae-Linnean records, to Mr. G. S. Boulger for his valuable 

 advice in connection with the delimitation of the districts, and particularly to the Rev. W. Moyle 

 Rogers, author of a Handbook of the British Rubi, Mr. Harold W. Monington, Messrs. W. and G. S. 

 West, Mr. E. M. Holmes, and Mr. George Massee for their kindness in contributing papers on the 

 Surrey Brambles, Mosses, Algae, Lichens and Fungi respectively. 



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